Friday, 20 July 2012

We had chilli for tea the other night and there was a tiny bit left. Not enough to do another meal even for one but I wasn't going to throw it out. At lunch time the next day I began thinking about what to have, there was only me so I knew that my conscience would insist I use the chilli.

I also had a single sorry naan bread in the bread bin so first thoughts were heat up tiny bit of chilli and make a wrap type thingy with the naan bread. Well that idea just didn't get the juices flowing and frankly just didn't appeal.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Frugality isn't about a one size fits all. For some it will be spending as little as possible and the overriding motivation for any purchase will be price regardless of quality. Now I make no judgements on this, spending is and should be a matter of personal choice. What one person regards as a frivolous spend will be another persons essential, and that is as it should be.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Personally one area where quality is important to me is food. Frugal food shopping for me is about getting good quality food at the best price I can and then ensuring that I make the best use of that food and avoid wasting any.

I like as much of our diet as possible to be organic. One way in which I am trying to achieve this as frugally as I can, is by getting my allotment and growing as much of our vegetables as possible. While that's in it's early days I continue to buy most of our fruit and veg. Where and when I can I will choose organic, though I will compromise on the organic label where I can get a good quality, preferably locally grown alternative more cheaply or where the cost of the organic version is prohibitive.

One area I am loathe to compromise on however is meat. It is not so much the routine injection of antibiotics and growth hormones that leads me to take this stand (though I am not happy about them), but the standard of animal welfare. If an animal is going to give up it's life to feed me I want to know that it lived a good and happy life and was well cared for.

I buy most of my meat from a local organic farm and have done for the past seven or eight years. I tend to do a monthly shop there and freeze most of my purchases.

Here's today's buys...

...total cost £42.70

For that I got:

4 Aberdeen Angus 1/4lb Burgers. (These will do two meals.)

2 Pork leg steaks. (Eaten as they are they will only provide one meal, but I will wrap them separately and they will be used in stir fries, curries or pasta dishes and so will provide us with two meals.)

Beef skirt. (Again this will be divided into two small portions and will be sliced thinly to use in fajitas or stir fries so will give me two meals.)

Mutton cannon. (This is basically a loin of mutton and will provide at least two casseroles so another two meals.)

Two sandwich steaks. (1 meal)

A shoulder of mutton. ( This will be served as a roast, with some leftover for sandwiches and the bones and any scraps being made into a scotch broth - so for the two of us I will get at least four meals.)

A pack of traditional pork sausages. (Enough for two meals.)

A smaller pack of beef sausages. ( One meal.)

A pack of Saddleback sausage meat,. (Two meals.)

A smaller pack of black pudding and pork sausage meat. (One meal.)

2 Rump steaks. (These are 8oz steaks and were bought as a special treat meal for us. They also accounted for almost 1/4 of the bill coming in at £9.49 for the two, but I justify this as a comparable meal in a restaurant would cost at least £15 each and as I have said it is for a special meal and isn't a regular purchase - so only one meal from these.)

So that works out at a total of 20 meals for two, or 40 individual meals for a cost of only £42.70 - just over £1 per portion for top quality organic meat.

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Dave got up for work at 6am this morning, looked out of the window and declared "it's lovely out there!".

A quick check to make certain I hadn't heard things wrong saw me scrambling out of bed to make the most of what looked to be a glorious day.

The view from my back gate at 6.30am this morning.

By 7am I was strolling to the allotment complete with small frying pan, a slice of bacon, an egg and a bread bun as well as a flask of coffee.

I took my time, enjoying the early morning sun and the peaceful sound of birdsong.

Looking out over the railway line to the fells beyond.

Walking along the dappled path behind the churchyard.

I love the way the sunlight streams through
the overhanging branches.

Watching rabbits play by the railway line.

Across the river...

Still swollen from all the rain.

Then on to the allotment (unfortunately no more photographs because my battery ran out) where I made myself a bacon and egg sandwich and drank my coffee before tackling the weeding.

Why is it that weeds seem to grow much faster than my vegetables?

Unfortunately although the morning held such promise for a summery day by 9am it had started to cloud over and by 9.30 the sun had gone and the grey clouds that seem to be the norm at the moment were back.

At least it has stayed dry today and I feel so pleased that I got out of bed early and made the most of the brief spell of sunshine.

I love that on the reverse of the mug is the celebration of another anniversary the 240th anniversary of the Shannow Mills.

I sent Ruthy...

Four 1970's print handmade napkins - there was a set of six when I bought them but sadly two of them were badly stained.

A 1960's "hostess set" still in the original box - this consists of a ceramic topped wooden salt and pepper set and matching salad servers.

A square glass trinket dish in colours that I thought might look good in Ruthy's caravan.

To be honest my only "Jubilee" related item was an organza and bead broach which I made for Ruthy and mounted on a Queen of Hearts playing card.

Ruthy loves cross-stitch books and I found a "Storybook" cross-stitch book which thankfully Ruthy didn't already own. I was very tempted to keep the book, even though I don't do cross-stitch as I loved the illustrations of the projects - I settled for just photographing one or two...

Friday, 6 July 2012

No excuses, I think the good bad old British weather has just been getting me down.

But, I've now come to the conclusion that though the weather isn't summery we'll just have to make the most of what we've got and carve out a little bit of summer in spite of it.

I've begun with a little overhaul of my blog to make it just a little more summery.

Then there has been the opportunity for one or two walks between downpours, albeit with dear granddaughter still in winter woolies!

And, I have made a pretty summery nightdress for said granddaughter by upcycling the underskirt of a 99p charity shop buy. I unpicked the underskirt from the dress which I bought for the fabric, and added stretch lace to fit around Flic's chest and stretch lace straps. She was absolutely delighted with it and I still have some lovely summery pink floral fabric from the dress itself for another project.

We have also had our first pickings from the allotment.

Not a lot I grant you, just a few cabbage thinnings and some leaves from the "salad bowl" cut and come again lettuce, but at least it's something and it's homegrown.

But if confirmation is needed that it really is summer, despite the awful weather - I have made my first elderflower cordial of the year, and as everyone knows elderflower cordial is summer in a bottle. So there you have it - I have the summer and it's currently residing in a bottle in my kitchen!

About Me

I am 57 years young and live in Weardale one of the Durham Dales, and an area described as "Englands Last Wilderness". I have four now grown up "children", one son and three daughters. I am also the proud Nana of Felicity, otherwise known as Flic - aged 8 and more recently Catherine also known as Cat - born June 2015. I keep trying hard to lead a simpler more meaningful life but it sometimes feels an uphill struggle, however, I will get there! I love vintage home-wares and am forever on the lookout for new to me items to add to my home. I love to cook, enjoy a spot of jewellery making and like to try out various sewing projects and the odd bit of crochet.